![\"Editorial-NCRI\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Editorial-NCRI.jpg\" "\\"Editorial-NCRI\\"")
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On Friday, February 21, 2020<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0the Iranian people overwhelmingly rejected the clerical regime by refusing to participate in the sham<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Parliamentary<\/span><\/a>\u00a0election<\/a> despite intimidation and repeated call<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0by the regime\u2019s officials.<\/span><\/p>\n Mrs. Maryam\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Rajavi<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0President-elect of the N<\/a><\/span>ational Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>had called on the Iranian people to boycott the farce election. She said:\u00a0<\/span>The boycott of the sham election is a patriotic duty and the bond of the Iranian people with their martyrs, especially the over 1,500 martyrs of the November uprising.<\/span><\/p>\n The boycott of the sham elections is a patriotic duty and the bond of the Iranian people with their martyrs, especially the over 1,500 martyrs of the November uprising. #Iran<\/a> #FreeIran2020<\/a> #BoycottIranShamElections<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RKWXwHbOe8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 18, 2020<\/a>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n She further stated that: Iranian people cast their true vote during the November 2019 and January 2020 uprisings with chants of \u201cDeath to the principle of the\u00a0<\/span>velayat<\/span>-e faqih, death to Khamenei and Rouhani.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reliable reports based on physical\u00a0<\/span>monitoring\u00a0<\/span>as well as analyzing different official figures announced during the day of the election show that more than 90% of the eligible voters refused to cast their vote. This is a major humiliation for the regime.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0<\/span>Fars News Agency<\/span>, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)<\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>quoted Interior Ministry officials as saying that only 1.9 million people had voted in Tehran. That means that notwithstanding the several<\/span>–<\/span>fold<\/span>–<\/span>inflation<\/span>\u00a0of figures, less than 20 percent of the eligible voters had cast their ballot in the capital.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The regime\u2019s top officials including Supreme leader Ali Khamenei and\u00a0<\/span>President\u00a0<\/span>Hassan Rouhani had repeatedly called on the people to participate in the election. Khamenei even went as far as calling it a mandatory \u201creligious duty<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cElection is a popular jihad; strengthens the\u00a0<\/span>country and<\/span>\u00a0safeguards the system\u2019s legitimacy. Presence in the election and voting is a religious duty, a religious edict… Whoever likes the system must take part in the election,\u201d Khamenei emphasized.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rouhani had repeatedly appealed for voting. His advisors had warned people not to snub the ballot box, as it would make America happy and increase Mujahedin-e\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Khalq<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(PMOI\/MEK)<\/a> activities. The IRGC and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>regime\u2019s Foreign Minister\u00a0<\/span>Mohammad\u00a0<\/span>Javad<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Zarif<\/a> had called\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>defeat<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0the policy of\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>maximum pressure<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0with maximum participation. Not only did all these futile attempts fail to have any impact, but to the contrary,<\/span>\u00a0they<\/span>\u00a0intensified the people\u2019s disgust at the theft of popular sovereignty through this illegitimate election and strengthened their resolve to boycott this charade.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Judiciary Chief Ebrahim\u00a0<\/span>Raisi<\/span>\u00a0said<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>The e<\/span>lection is an important issue. Whoever whose heart is in this system\u2026 must perform well in carrying out their duty in this regard. Whoever, with whatever motive undermines this election, knowingly or unknowingly, wittingly or unwittingly, would be in the enemy\u2019s camp by weakening the election.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The s<\/span>peaker at the Friday Prayer<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0in Tehran said: \u201cNot participating in the election weakens the regime. It is religiously forbidden. For eligible voters, participation is a Sharia-dictated and divine duty. It is a must, which everyone should perform like prayers.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Following Mrs.\u00a0<\/span>Rajavi\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0call to boycott the sham election, a nationwide campaign was launched by supporters of the Mujahedin-e\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Khalq<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(MEK)<\/a>. Her call to boycott the election was written on\u00a0<\/span>walls in Tehran and several dozen cities across the country. Resistance Units of the MEK posted photos and messages of Mrs.\u00a0<\/span>Rajavi<\/span>\u00a0on major intersections.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rebellious\u00a0<\/span>Y<\/span>outh in many cities torched election posters and destroyed\u00a0<\/span>a number of<\/span>\u00a0candidates\u2019 election headquarters. Simultaneously, a major campaign was launched on the internet which further spread Mrs.\u00a0<\/span>Rajavi\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0call for the boycott.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After two days of confusion and fabrication of bogus figures,\u00a0<\/span>Abdolreza<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Rahmani<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Fazli<\/span>, the regime\u2019s Minister of Interior, announced that 42.5 percent had voted in the election. To justify the sparse turnout,\u00a0<\/span>Rahmani<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Fazli<\/span>\u00a0said<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0\u201cGiven the political situation and such issues as the\u202fcrash of the (Ukrainian) airliner, the incidents in\u202fNovember (2019)\u202fand\u202fJanuary (2020),\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>under<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>these circumstances, this level of presence and participation by the people is totally acceptable.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mrs. Maryam\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Rajavi<\/span><\/a>, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>, congratulated the Iranian people for the nationwide boycott of the sham election by the ruling\u00a0<\/span>religious fascism. Mrs.\u00a0<\/span>Rajavi<\/span>\u00a0added that the failure of the regime to intimidate people to go to the polls reflects the Iranian people\u2019s homage to the 1,500 martyrs of the November 2019<\/a> uprising and portends of subsequent uprisings. This unprecedented boycott was a resounding \u201cno\u201d to Khamenei, Rouhani and the entirety of the clerical regime and showed the public\u2019s enthusiasm for<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0Resistance\u00a0<\/span>U<\/span>nits\u2019 slogan of \u201cmy vote is overthrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The failure of the regime to intimidate people to go to the polls reflects the Iranian people\u2019s homage to the 1,500 martyrs of the November 2019 uprising and portends of subsequent uprisings #IranProtests<\/a> #FreeIran2020<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/TEOj5SyOT2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/OijOyc3Cjt<\/a><\/p>\n
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